Discretionary housing payments

In some circumstances we can give people suffering exceptional hardship an extra payment called Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) to help with housing costs. To claim you must:

be receiving Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit

prove that you are suffering from financial hardship due to a shortfall in your benefits.

A shortfall may be the result of:

A reduction in Housing Benefit for under occupation in the social rented sector, particularly those customers with disabled children who are unable to share a bedroom, customers who have had disability adaptations to the property or families where children live between two households

A reduction in Housing Benefit as a result of Local Housing Allowance restrictions

A rent increase resulting in a household potentially becoming homeless

A Valuation Office Agency decision resulting in the maximum rent being restricted

When your application has been assessed we will let you know our decision. If you disagree with the decision made you cannot appeal against it as awards are at our discretion. However if you would like to discuss the decision please: